Yankee Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
530 acres1.8 mi of trail
Tinley Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bremen Township
6% of Bremen Township’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Yankee Woods (1.8 mi), Oak Forest Heritage Preserve (1.2 mi), Gensburg - Markham Prairie Nature Preserve (1.2 mi). 23 miles of mapped trail cross Bremen Township, 0.6 per square mile of land. 6% of Bremen Township’s land is conserved, about 1,380 acres.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #264 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,380 acres · of 37.7 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,047 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
23 mi
23 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Bremen Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bremen Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bremen Township is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #264 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bremen Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,047 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 74%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 66%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Bremen Township ranks #240 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Yankee Woods, with 1.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Oak Forest Heritage Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
181 acres1.2 mi of trail
Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Gensburg - Markham Prairie Nature Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
131 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Paintbrush Prairie Nature Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
76 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
2,091 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Memorial Park
Managed by Tinley Park Park District
43 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kostner Park
Park
9 acres0.5 mi of trail
Johnson Walkway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 61 parks & preserves
Yankee Woods530 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsOak Forest Heritage Preserve181 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsGensburg - Markham Prairie Nature Preserve131 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsPaintbrush Prairie Nature Preserve76 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Tinley Creek Forest Preserve2,091 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMemorial Park43 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Tinley Park Park District
DirectionsRoesner Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsKostner Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsAtkin Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Dolphin Lake Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Don Burns Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lewis Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Tinley Park Park District
Community Park63 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMidlothian Meadows436 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsJames O. Setnes Sports Complex18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Well Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Country Aire Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRubio Woods618 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsIndian Boundary Prairies372 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Sundrop Prairie Nature Preserve112 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsChicago Gaelic Park46 acres
DirectionsCentral Park32 acres
DirectionsVogt Woods Park22 acres · Tinley Park Park District
Oak Hill Park18 acres
Walker Park14 acres
DirectionsFulton School Park13 acres · Tinley Park Park District
DirectionsJesk Park11 acres
DirectionsCaesar Park10 acres
DirectionsDropseed Prairie Nature Preserve10 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Convent Park8 acres
Vergne Way Park8 acres
Lancaster Woods Park7 acres · Tinley Park Park District
Stone Hollow Park7 acres · Hazel Crest Park District
Fieldcrest Park6 acres
Wolf Park6 acres · Hazel Crest Park District
El Morro Park6 acres
DirectionsTower Park5 acres
DirectionsIndependence Park5 acres
DirectionsSaint Boniface Park5 acres
DirectionsGene Leonard Park5 acres
Bremen Heights Park5 acres · Midlothian Park District
Markham Park4 acres
DirectionsLagoon Park4 acres
Friendly Oaks Park4 acres
Hollydale Park4 acres
DirectionsCommisioners Park4 acres · Posen Park District
Heritage Park4 acres
DirectionsMarkham Boys League Baseball Fields4 acres
Lone Pine Park4 acres · Markham Park District
Water Tower Park3 acres
McNeil Park3 acres
Memorial School Park3 acres
DirectionsCherrywood Park3 acres · Hazel Crest Park District
Waverly Creekside Park3 acres · Oak Forest Park District
DirectionsDresser Park2 acres
DirectionsHillcrest Park2 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Sunset Park2 acres
Scandia Park2 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
The Avenues Park1 acres
Harriet Park1 acres · Oak Forest Park District
DirectionsRauhoff Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,380 conserved acres
6% of Bremen Township’s land. Who manages Bremen Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency632 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits369 ac
State conservation366 ac
Private owners202 ac
Town or city90 ac
Local Park · 542 acConservation Easement · 400 acPrivate Conservation · 331 acPrivate Park · 202 acState Conservation Area · 178 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 119 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 24 of 122 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Boundary Prairies Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 331 | Unknown |
| Midothian Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 202 | Open |
| Oak Forest Heritage Preserve State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 177 | Closed |
| Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 70 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Regional agency | 39 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Regional agency | 29 | Open |
| Oak Valley Park Local Park | Regional agency | 21 | Open |
| Roesner Park Local Park | Regional agency | 20 | Open |
| Commissioners Park Local Park | Regional agency | 19 | Open |
| James O. Setnes Park Local Park | Regional agency | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
61 places to go in Bremen Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bremen Township
McDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsSaint Boniface Park - PlaygroundIn Saint Boniface Park
Directions37 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Bremen Township
Bremen Grove Dog ParkIn Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsPeaks in Bremen Township
Belly Button HillIn Kostner Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bremen Township
Bremen Grove Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsBur Oak Woods Picnic Grove 2In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsBur Oak Woods Picnic Grove 4In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsBur Oak Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsBur Oak Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 3In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsCarlson Springs Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsMidloathian Meadows Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Midlothian Meadows
DirectionsMidloathian Meadows Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Midlothian Meadows
Directions7 more picnic areas
Midloathian Meadows Picnic Shelter Grove 3In Midlothian Meadows
DirectionsMidloathian Meadows Picnic Shelter Grove 4In Midlothian Meadows
DirectionsRubio Woods Picnic Grove 1In Rubio Woods
DirectionsRubio Woods Picnic Grove 4In Rubio Woods
DirectionsTinley Creek Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsYankee Woods Picnic Grove 1In Yankee Woods
DirectionsYankee Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Yankee Woods
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bremen Township
Camp SullivanFee · In Tinley Creek Forest Preserve · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsPlus 6 campgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.4 mi
Tinley Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail1.7 mi
Tinley Creek Brown Unpaved Loop0.8 mi
Tinley Creek Orange Unpaved Trail0.4 mi
Johnson Walkway0.4 mi
Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Yellow Unpaved Trail0.2 mi
Tinley Creek Blue Unpaved Trail0.1 mi
Tinley Creek Black Unpaved Spur0.1 mi
Biking & sports
23 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
23 mi
off-road bike paths
Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Trail SystemBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
51Baseball
43Tennis
13Basketball
7Soccer
6Football
3Softball
1Pickleball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bremen Township: April and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 48 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Bremen Township →
Next door
Bremen Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Orland Township32 miRich Township29 miBremen Township23 miThornton Township21 miTinley Park13 miWorth Township7.8 miDixmoor0.1 miPosen0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bremen Township | 6% | 0.6 | 10 | 98% | B+ |
| Thornton Township | 7% | 0.5 | 8 | 98% | B+ |
| Orland Township | 10% | 0.9 | 13 | 99% | A |
| Rich Township | 11% | 0.8 | 12 | 96% | A− |
| Worth Township | 5% | 0.2 | 6 | 99% | B |
| Posen | 2% | under 0.1 | 3 | 99%+ | C |
| Dixmoor | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 92% | C− |
| Tinley Park | 4% | 0.8 | 10 | 93% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bremen Township
Where can I hike in Bremen Township?
The longest trail networks: Yankee Woods, 1.8 miles; Oak Forest Heritage Preserve, 1.2 miles; Gensburg - Markham Prairie Nature Preserve, 1.2 miles; Paintbrush Prairie Nature Preserve, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bremen Township is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 4% for an Illinois town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bremen Township’s trails?
Yankee Woods and Oak Forest Heritage Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bremen Township?
23 miles of bike routes are on the map: 23 of off-road paths. Named routes: Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Trail System.
Is there public land near Bremen Township?
14,429 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bremen Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,051 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bremen Township have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #264 of 768 in Illinois. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bremen Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →